18th Ryu-O Match Game 4
[Black "Watanabe Akira, Ryu-O"]
[White "Kimura Kazuki, Challenger"]
[Event "18th Ryu-O sen, Game 4"]
[Date "November 29th and 30th 2005"]
1.P7g-7f 00:02:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:02:00 00:03:00
3.P2g-2f 00:04:00 00:03:00
4.G4a-3b 00:04:00 00:06:00
5.G6i-7h 00:10:00 00:06:00
6.B2bx8h+ 00:10:00 00:12:00
For the second time in this match the Kakugawari with tempo
loss. This time Kimura is playing with the white pieces.
7.S7ix8h 00:12:00 00:12:00
8.S3a-4b 00:12:00 00:13:00
9.S3i-3h 00:19:00 00:13:00
10.S7a-6b 00:19:00 00:16:00
11.P4g-4f 00:23:00 00:16:00
12.P6c-6d 00:23:00 00:20:00
13.S3h-4g 00:26:00 00:20:00
14.S6b-6c 00:26:00 00:22:00
15.K5i-6h 00:30:00 00:22:00
16.K5a-4a 00:30:00 00:29:00
17.S8h-7g 00:41:00 00:29:00
18.K4a-3a 00:41:00 00:34:00
19.P1g-1f 00:50:00 00:34:00
20.P1c-1d 00:50:00 00:35:00
21.P3g-3f 00:51:00 00:35:00
22.S6c-5d 00:51:00 00:43:00
23.G4i-5h 01:01:00 00:43:00
24.G6a-5b 01:01:00 00:54:00
25.P9g-9f 01:16:00 00:54:00
26.P9c-9d 01:16:00 01:30:00
27.K6h-7i 01:17:00 01:30:00
28.P6d-6e 01:17:00 01:36:00
29.S4g-5f 01:44:00 01:36:00
30.R8b-6b 01:44:00 01:49:00
31.N2i-3g 02:34:00 01:49:00
32.S4b-3c 02:34:00 01:53:00
33.G5h-4g 02:38:00 01:53:00
34.P7c-7d 02:38:00 02:30:00
35.K7i-8h 03:25:00 02:30:00
36.P8c-8d 03:25:00 03:18:00
37.S5f-4e?! 04:22:00 03:18:00
The sealed move. Both players have used the first day to put
their pieces into position and the fight is starting with the
first move of the second day. 37.S4e was a surprise. In the press
room 37.P2e was expected. Then black has the plan S4e Sx4e Nx4e
and after the silver moves from 3c, the pawn exchange on 2d is
a natural development.
38.S5d-5e?! 04:22:00 03:45:00
The defender Kimura chooses a line that is pulling in the black
pieces, but that may have been ill-advised. Better seems to be
38.Sx4e Nx4e S4d P2e and then P7e Px7e P9e Px9e Sx4e Px4e Lx9e
threatens P*7f Sx7f B*5e, forking the king and rook. In the post-mortem
analysis, Watanabe was at first confident that there was some way to
play this position with black, but had to admit in the end that he might
have been a little overconfident here. Kimura also admitted that he
should have looked a little bit longer at the natural Sx4e.
39.N3g-2e 04:23:00 03:45:00
40.S3c-2b 04:23:00 04:27:00
41.S4ex3d 04:31:00 04:27:00
42.N8a-7c 04:31:00 04:45:00
43.P3f-3e 05:14:00 04:45:00
44.B*6d 05:14:00 05:35:00
It looks like white has some pressure himself, but...
45.B*8c! 05:28:00 05:35:00
This bishop looks bound to be lost, but white has to compromise his
position considerably to get to it.
46.G5b-6c 05:28:00 05:55:00
47.P5g-5f 05:28:00 05:55:00
48.S5e-4d 05:28:00 05:55:00
49.R2h-3h 05:28:00 05:55:00
50.P5c-5d 05:28:00 05:56:00
51.P1f-1e 05:28:00 05:56:00
52.P1dx1e 05:28:00 06:02:00
53.P*1c 05:28:00 06:02:00
54.L1ax1c 05:28:00 06:09:00
55.N2ex1c+ 05:40:00 06:09:00
56.S2bx1c 05:40:00 06:10:00
57.L*4e?! 05:40:00 06:10:00
Black has the better position after a successful edge attack, but
this is based on an oversight. Probably better was 57.P4e S5c L*3c
Nx3c Sx3c+ and now Gx3c fails to P*3d. Of course Watanabe had seen
this, but he didn't like P*3g +Sx3b Kx3b after Sx3c+ (R1h is then
answered by L*1f). If he is right, the position may not have been
that good for black, since 57.L*4e is also leading to trouble.
58.N7c-8e 05:40:00 06:20:00
59.L4ex4d 05:43:00 06:20:00
60.P4cx4d 05:43:00 06:21:00
61.S*5a 06:00:00 06:21:00
62.R6b-5b! 06:00:00 06:25:00
This was the move that Watanabe overlooked. It looks bad, because
black can promote the bishop and attack the rook at the same time
with 63.B6a+, but then 64.K4a! +Bx5b Kx5b R*7b L*6b R7a+ N*6a stops
the black attack.
63.L1ix1e! 06:04:00 06:25:00
A devious move.
64.S1c-2d? 06:04:00 06:29:00
The mistake that Watanabe counted on. He wasn't at all confident in
the position after 64.P*1d, but white has only two pawns in hand, so
keeping the pawn in hand if possible is the professional way of
thinking. Also, it is highly unlikely that white will have the time
to take the lance with Px1e in this stage of the game. These two reasons
make it very hard for a professional player to play 64.P*1d. Watanabe
has outsmarted his opponent here.
65.R3h-1h 06:27:00 06:29:00
66.K3a-4a 06:27:00 06:32:00
67.P2f-2e 06:27:00 06:32:00
68.K4ax5a 06:27:00 06:46:00
69.P2ex2d 06:27:00 06:46:00
70.R5b-8b 06:27:00 06:47:00
71.S*7b 06:28:00 06:47:00
72.G6c-7c 06:28:00 06:55:00
73.P2dx2c+ 06:28:00 06:55:00
74.G3b-3a? 06:28:00 07:16:00
The decisive mistake. 74.G3a makes it more difficult for black to
promote the rook, but there is a different attack that is just as
strong. Correct was 74.G4b which leads to a difficult position after
75.L1a+ Gx8c S6c+ L*6a +Sx6d Lx6d R1b+ S*6i. In some cases, the lance
on 6d might even work in attack. Kimura didn't think that Gx8c was
good, so he didn't play this line. After 74.G4b, 75.R2h is an alternative,
but post-mortem analysis was inconclusive.
75.S3d-4c= 06:30:00 07:16:00
76.K5a-6b 06:30:00 07:26:00
77.S4cx5d+ 06:33:00 07:26:00
78.B6d-4b 06:33:00 07:26:00
79.L1e-1b+ 06:40:00 07:26:00
80.P*1g 06:40:00 07:29:00
81.R1h-2h 06:42:00 07:29:00
82.P*2g 06:42:00 07:29:00
83.R2hx2g 06:43:00 07:29:00
84.R8bx7b 06:43:00 07:33:00
85.+P2c-3b 06:47:00 07:33:00
86.G3ax3b 06:47:00 07:35:00
87.B8cx7b+ 06:47:00 07:35:00
88.K6bx7b 06:47:00 07:36:00
89.R2gx2a+ 06:48:00 07:36:00
90.P*3a 06:48:00 07:39:00
91.R*5b 06:53:00 07:39:00
92.L*6b 06:53:00 07:42:00
93.+R2ax3b 06:53:00 07:42:00
94.P3ax3b 06:53:00 07:46:00
95.G*6c! 06:53:00 07:46:00
Very strong. In the press room it was still thought that the position
was difficult after 95.Rx4b+ S*6i. Watanabe shows how to end the game
immediately.
96.G7cx6c 06:53:00 07:53:00
97.+S5dx6c 06:53:00 07:53:00
98.K7bx6c 06:53:00 07:53:00
99.R5bx4b+ 06:53:00 07:53:00
100.S*6i 06:53:00 07:59:00
101.G*5c 06:53:00 07:59:00
Resigns 06:53:00 07:59:00
Mate after 101.K6d +Rx6b or 101.K7c +Rx6b K8c B*6a K9c +R7c K9b +R8c.
Kimura might have had some chances in this game, but in general it was
all Watanabe again. Before the first game a close match was expected,
but in the end Watanabe won all four games. The most impressive part
was how easily he broke down the best defender in the game. Kimura
might regret the chances he didn't take in the first and third game,
but the general impression of this match is that Watanabe played very
well, especially considering that he is only 21 years old. With this
second consecutive Ryu-O title, he also got a promotion to 9-dan,
making him the youngest 9-dan in history at 21 years and 7 months.
Watanabe broke Tanigawa's record by 4 months. It is also the fastest
promotion to 9-dan: 5 years and 7 months after his pro debut (Tanigawa
took 7 years and 3 months). It is clear that Watanabe is the real thing
and we can expect a real challenge of the Habu generation in the coming
years.